The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-15
Employees in the Institution Testify Before
the Investigating Committee that Mag
goty Butter Was Fed to the Patients.
Hogs Slaughtered for Food from Among
DrOves Dying from the Cholera.
Dried Fruits Unfit To Be Eaten Fed to the
Insane-Evidence from Attendants and
Officers il the Hospital

The House committee on OeneSolent iustitu-
tions met at i o'clock yesterday afternoon, and
resumed the investigation of the Harrison mis-
management of the Hospital for the Insane.
Attorneys Lucius B. Swift and Oliver T. Nor
ton. Of the State Civilservice Association con-
Quoted the examination of witnesses in the in
curry, MIR. c. S. Wesner, of Lebanon, attend
ing to the interests of DR.. Thomas Harrison.
DER. II. Tarlton, Of Martinsve, a former
trustee of the hospital, testified that while trus-
tee he resigned the position of treasurer of the
board on account of disagreement with James
E Hall. the steward who is Dr. Harrison's man.
He testified that Halls work on the books as
book keeper had irregularities in it. AT one
kime two pages were torn out of the record book.
Hall did not give any reason for having torn it.
Mr.. Wilhelm was keeping the books for Hall at
that time. He thought others were paid for
work that Hall should have done Wilhelm got
d salary Of $50a month for such work, $40 of
which was taken off Halls salary of 800
month. Wilhelm was appointed at the
suggestion of DR.. Harrison. Witness
did not believe that Hall could
properly Judge OF the qualities of supplies
feived. He thought Hall supercilious and arro-
CANT Hall had, at times, sought to impress en-
ployes in o;her departments than mis- own, that
be was in authority, and he would threaten to
discharge persons If they did not do SO and so.
Hall would sometimes buy goods without au-
thority from the board. Once he bought two
fne mats, costing So each, for DR.. Thomas. Hall
disposed of rags, old iron and other waste at the
hospital making the return of prices for articles
sold at about half the market value of such
things. Witness did not like this. Hall was al
ways meddesome. There was proposition be-
fore the board to butcher the cows, to which wit
ness objected He wrote to Fletcher Harrison and
Gapen, protesting against slaughtering the cows
md then buying milk, as itwould be bad record.
He heard afterward as he came on the hospital
grounds. that Hall had been saying that witness
had written very insulting letter and had got
The devil from Harrison in reply. Witness men
tioned the matter in the board when Hall was
present, characterizng it as untrue that he had
received such a letter, and Hall did not open his
mouth. Witness exemplifed Halls foolish pur-
phases by saying he had bought half-adozen
bnow-shovels as late as the month of April,
1884. He asked Gapen to have Hall dis
charged. Gapen said Hall was the - liar
he ever saw in his life. Ten of the COWS
were killed aud thirty-one retained The insti
tuition bought milk thereafter Much of it was
Skm milk, 8 or 10 cents gallon. 1t was bought
bf Joseph Flack and others.
The next witness was Charles c. Roth, assist
ant steward of the hospital, now holding that
position. Witness testified that Hall is head Of
the commssary department. and also has charge
Of the farm. Hall is responsible for the recep-
zion of goods delivered at the hospital, and de-
cides upon the rejection of goods He remem-
bered the circumstances of the visit to the insti-
tuition of Mr.. w. d. Fouke and Mr. Morton in
The summer Of 1885, He had some bad butter
put out of the way to conceal it from the visitors
Mr.. Hyde put some Of it in the sewer and some
BIZ it in the basement The butter was not fit to
hse 1t had skippers in It, Some OF it was sent
but on the wards.
care there any other cases of butter with
skippers in itW was asked.
Witness said there were no others that he
knew of. They had bad butter occasionally.
DR. Fletcher knew of the butter with shippers
in it, Witness had told him.
'Was any butter ever received that you OBJ
Iected to9'
Witness SAID be objected to some butter sent
by Kraues, of Columbia City. He told Hall the
butter was not fit to eat. Hail said that Snper
)ntendent Fletcher was we'll pleased with it.
Witness didn't hardly believe that, as he knew
tke Doctor would not be pleasediwith bad butter
Witness was in the habit Of reporting to Super
lntendent Fletcher when goods were bad OR not
according to sample Mr.. Swift here read :
humber of communications of this kind, writer
by witness to the superintendent witness &C
knowledging his signature and writing Amonl
the articles of food complained Of as bad, in ad
dition to butter, were rice, cheese, tea, drie,
eurrants. The pickles and vinegar were not vi
TO contract. One communication from the as
Bistant steward to the superintendent states
that the baker said the -four was not good, an,
The bread was bad Mr. Hall put the -four int
the basem ens Thought most Of the -four wa
lent back, but had 90 distinct recollection.
It came out in the testimony that this witness
probably as q punishment for his reports to tn
puperinte ndent had his wages reduced from 81
TO $50, and the room he had occupied in the hos
bital taken away from him. compelling him t
room and ooard outside. Last Friday DR.. Hal
rison told him he had been restored to SO
month.
Question-were not goods received over you
protest kept and used2
Answer--Yes, sir.
Q-Very frequently
A.-Not since the election.
B. F. Spann, n former trustee, whose term ey
pired in 1879, testified to having had his after
item called to butterine furnished by John Z
Sullivan for country butter. The article wa
analysed by John Hurty, chemist. The boar
paid for what was used IA cents pound 1t wa
charged in the contract at something like 2
eeuts a Mound. DIR. Spann testified that while
trustee he was also member OF the provisions
board, but neither he nor his fellow embel
charged anything for services on the provisions
board. He understood that succeeding trustee
Gid charge for services on the provisional boar
Mr.. Gapen, one of the present trustees ha
asked why they DR. Spann and his colleague
hadn't made out bill, and said they were eni
He'd TO pay.
The investigation was continued in the eve
mg Mary Beck, an attendant in the secor
ward of the female department OF the hospts
WAS the first witness She has occupied tn
place three years. Batter with shippers in
had come up from the kitchen. II was intend,
low ha IF a in
ward did not use it. The butter was sent ba,
and report was made to the ward physical
Mrs. Stockton. She thought it was in SepteI
Ter. 1856.